Method and apparatus for treating materials of different specific gravities



HARVENGT July 7,- 1953 E. 2,644,582 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATINGMATERIALS V OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIES Flled Feb. 25, 1948 2Sheets-Sheet l Int) 312130;

July 7, 1953 E. HARVENGT ,53

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT SPECIFICGRAVITIES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1948 v $123221) efli w Ilia/10 227 7 Patented July 7, 19 53 GRAVITIIES MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT?{SPECIFIC Edmond-"Harvengtf Moustier sufisambre; Bab

gium,- as'signor t6 Link-Belt flompany ch-icago; I

"111., acorporation of'lllinois' Application Fttru ary 25, 1948, SerialNo. 10,756.

. M In Belgium June. 25, 1945 7 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8,1946 Patent expires June 25, 1965' ores and the like, and especiallyconcerns such a separation when obtained bymeans of pulsatclaims, '(Cl.209-427) ing apparatuspartlcularly by means of pulsating, 5

apparatus associated with washing troughs.

It has alreadybeen proposedto, classify orto I pre-classify materials ofthe kind referred :to on. screens or grids towhichessentiallyhorizontalmovementsare imparted, andwith which areassociated currents of water ofconstantintensity, while separating, atthe endof said screens or grids, layers, in particular'the lower'layers, of the graded bed.. With such an arrangement however, it hasbeen found that thegrading, of the materials takes place more or lessslowly, sothat;

other things being equal, the output is low as compared with the sizesof the apparatus. 1

- According to thisinvention, which, inter alia,

hasfor its object. to'robviatethis drawback, ,a

classification or a pre-classification, and/or a separation of materialsof different. densities, 1s obtained by conveying said materials, ifnecessa y after. pass n ,the i-l que Wa hing;

trough or a section of a washing trough, to a screen or grid to whichare impartedmovements comprisingsalternating vertical and/or horizontalcomponents, and subjecting simultaneously sald, materials to liquidimpulses generated in timed relation with the. movements of the screenor grid, particularly impulses entertained by a reciprocating piston,in, as socia ti on or not with liquid currents of constant or variableintensity. According to another feature of the invention,

the discharge of the gradedproducts, or at least ofcertain categories ofthem may-be controlled ina similar manner, 1. e. in timed relation withthe movements of the screen or grid, or with those of the piston,preferablyby means of a movable device the movements, of whichare madedependent from those ofthe screen .or.:-gr-id.s,-

If necessary, the movements imparted to the: discharge device may be.such .as; to make the discharge to agree with a given lawduring themovements of the grid. or screen, and said (115? charge may furthermorebev influenced in: accordance with the. quantity and/or the quality ofthe treated materials.

A classification-separation system accordingto this inventionenables-dense products to be extracted quickly from a mass of materialsof .dif@ ferent densities; therefore itis. particularly well adapted forassociation with .the treatment by" washing. of such materialsinialluviation or gradingj troughs, thereby permitting a substantial.

- v2 reductionotthe: sizeofpthe. washingzplant. ;Espe-, ciallyinisuch-acase', itis possible to improve the separation. by making: use:of ascending liquid, currents. H -In-orderl that;the,invention;may bewell under: stood, it will be described hereinafter in greater.detaiLJbut not limitatively, in its application to the; treatment, ofcoal, reference being made to certain preferred embodiments ofclassifyingseparating: apparatusillustrated by wayof ex- I ample;in,the. accompanying drawings, in which; ;F1'g.}1,is' a more orlessdiagrammatic elevational view of a.classifying-separating.apparatus inaccordance with the invention;

F ig 2 shows similarly the diagram of a plant comprising; theassociation of apparatus ac--' cording to Fig. 1. with washing troughs.

Referring firstto Fig.1, l designates a bin pro-. vided. at 2 with aninletv for the materials to be graded; and separated, which are conveyedto a movable grid or screen 4 pivoted at 5 to rods 6 secured to shafts 1journalled in the walls of the bin. I, and at least one of which shaftsmay beoscillated. I y

a compartment 8 of the bin I is mounted a piston 9 tov which anaccentricdrive, designated as. a whole,by l0, imparts reciprocating move ments ofsuitable amplitude,

Said eccentric drive operates on the other handthrough the intermediaryof an appropriate linkage such as that designated as a whole by Is anda. chain .or, equivalent member 54, on one o f theshafts 1,, thearrangementbeing such that the. gnu} or screen 4 effects reciprocatingmovementsin the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction, eachtime of the desired ampli-' tude, in accordance with the movements ofthe [5" is a counterweight for balancing the screen o'rgrid' 4.

' Opposite the free end of the screen or grid 4 ismounted'a device whichenables the discharge of" the products at said end to'becontrolled, and,which'comprises a system ofyplanes l6 and I1 pivoted at their adjacentends about a common pivot I8 and on the other hand about a shaft 59rotating in the wallof'the bin. 1 and also. about a pivot"'20 connected,by connecting. rods 21 i pivcted together at 22 to a shaft23 journalled.

trated, thepivotal connection 22 may be con connection 22 and,consequently, the basic posi-- tion of adjustment of the dischargecontrol de-:

vice IB-I'l. V v

Furthermore, said discharge control device may be connected, as shown,for example through a point of an external lever 26 keyed on they shaft[9, and by means of an appropriate link'age'2'l, to

the eccentric drive [9 or a countershaft driven by the same, in order toimpart if necessary, to the discharge control device, reciprocatingmovements in timed relation with the movements of the screen or grid 4and of the piston 9.

Naturally, the various controls may be provided with adjusting meansenabling the amplitude of the movements of the driven members to beadjusted, as shown for example at 28 and 29 for the controls 21 and [4respectively, the arrangement enabling, if desired, the discharge slitor section to be caused to follow any desired law of periodic variationcompatible with the desired discharge of a given category of 7 products.

Preferably, as is moreover shown, the screen or grid 4 is located at alower level than the inlet 2 for the materials, with the interpositionof a wall 3 which may be inclined, and one of the functions of which isto'act as an abutment for the lower layers of the materials on thescreen or grid 4, as will more clearly appear from the following.

The arrangement is advantageously completed a by a liquid inlet shown at30, which is adapted to be adjusted in such a manner as to obtain eitherthe compensation for the liquid losses accompanying the discharge at thebottom of the bin of the products separated in the apparatus, oreventually, in addition to the compensation of said losses, theformation of one or more desired ascending currents passing through thescreen or grid and/or the discharge slit or section, and preventing thedischarge of the particles the extraction of which is not desired,particularly where an apparatus of the kind described is associated withan alluviation or grading washing trough.

In such an association, upstream and downstream theclassifying-separating apparatus proper, are connected sections 3! and32 of a washing trough, whereas to the bottom of the bin I may beconnected a continuous or intermittent discharge device of any knownkind.

Fig. 2 shows by way of example the combination, with the bottom of thebin I, of a discharge system comprising a drum provided with cells orpockets 36, the plant including a washing trough 35 equipped with twoclassifying-separating apparatus, each of which is provided at its basewith a discharge system comprising a drum with cells or pockets 36,these apparatus discharging the extracted prcducts in a lower trough 31,itself fitted with a classifying-separating device of the same kind.

Naturally classifying-separating apparatus may be combined with washingtroughs arranged in a very diiferent manner, such as troughs whichthemselves include other apparatus for collecting and/or dischargingmaterials having predetermined characteristics.

Whether the classifying-separating device is.

used as an individual element, or in association onto the grid or'screen4.

Owing to the reciprocating movement of the piston 9, these materials aresubjected thereon to impulses, while they are simultaneously influencedby the movements imparted to the screen or grid 4, and also, whereprovided, by the ascending currents which may be produced by the liquidinlet 30;

The connections being made so that the piston 9 effects its downstrokewhile the screen or grid moves downwards and backwardsi. e. towards theleft-the liquid impulse produced by this downward movement of the piston9 determines the opening of the massor bed of the materials, and throwsupwards the particles or grains of lesser density, whereas the particlesor grains of greater density, which are less affected, sink into orremain in the lower layers. At the same time, owing to the inertia ofthe particles or grains, in particular of the denser ones,'when thescreen or grid moves downwards, it shifts towards the left relatively tosaid particles or grains, so that the materials finally move towards therighthand discharge end of the grid or screen.

This movement of the materials is assisted, or even caused, by thepresence of a wall such as 3, forming an abutment for said materials,especially those of the lower layers, and preventing them from movingtowards the left together with the screen or grid, should they have atendency to follow the movementof said screen or grid in that direction.

It ensues that at the said right-hand end the materials are efiectivelydischarged from the screen or grid 4, the denser ones passing into theup-stroke of the piston 9, the grid or screen 4 is simultaneously movedupwards and towards the right, while the mass or bed of the materialsrests on said screen or grid. The suction produced by the up-stroke ofthe piston assists this movement, and at the same time reduces theaction of the ascending currents produced by the liquid inlet 30 whereprovided.

Of course, it is within the scope of the invention to increase or toreduce the suction effect due to the up-stroke of the piston 9, bycontrolling same in an appropriate manner, for example by means of a camof suitable shape replacing the eccentric shown.

In the next phase, the piston 9 and the screen or grid 4 move downwardsagain, and the already described operations are repeated.

In the foregoing description of the operation of the device, it has beenassumed that the position of the discharge device is not periodicallymodified during the movements of the piston 9 and of the screen or grid4.

By connecting the drive 21--optionallyadjusted-at 28to the linkage I I,the common pivamass;

otalconnection itofQthe-elements [B and I isalternately raised andlowered these' upward and downward movements c'orresponding to thedownward and upward movements of the screen or grid 4 respectively.- l

It follows that when the screen or grid moves downwards, withconcomitant discharge ofthe substances at its right-handend,the-dischargeopening towards the inside'of the bi-n 'l -is--en-- larged,assisting the inlet of the denserparticles' into sa-id bin. 'At the sameft'ime', the-upward movement of the pivotal connection l8, 'and of theadjacent portions of the elements l6 and produce a more complex motionof said articulation or pivotal connection, and this may becombined withthe movements imparted to the pivotal connection 22 by the mechanismconnected thereto, in order to satisfy, at the discharge opening elweenthe screenor grid 4 and the element I6; 11y desired law of discharge.

It remains within the limits of the invention o adjust the liquid inlet30 so as to increase-or to; decrease any of the effects of currentscreated wy said inlet.

Although theinvention has been described with reference to certainpreferred embodiments of classifying-separating apparatus, it is to beunderstood that it is not so limited, but that it includes themodifications, alternatives and equivalents. more screens or grids 4 ofsuitable dimensions, may be arranged in succession interposing betweenthem devices discharging into the bin itself or into separate dischargereceptacles.

I claim:

1. A method of separating the materials of greater densities from acontinuously, horizontally moving, wash water graded bed of granularmaterials of diiferent densities, especially coals, ores, and the like,comprising supporting the moving bed of materials in the upper portionof a body of liquid, periodically oscillating the support for the bed ofmaterials downwardly and horizontally in opposition to the normaldirection of movement of the bed and upwardly and horizontally in thenormal direction of movement of the bed, periodically subjecting the bedof mate rials to upwardly and downwardly directed liquid impulses whichwill alternately lift and loosen the bed and allow the bed to settle andcompact, tim ing the oscillations of the bed support with the liquidimpulses so that the bed support will move downwardly while the bed islifting and will move upwardly whil the bed is settling, advancing'thebed of materials relative to the support each time the bed is lifted andloosened by an upward liquid impulse, and separating from the advancingbed the materials of greater densities, by settling; the same into thelower portion in said body of liquid, while the remainder of the bedcontinues itshorizontal movement.

2. A method of separating the materials of greater densities from acontinuquslvhhorizontally movinsfi. wash water gradedbed ofggranularmaterials of different densities-, especially-coals,

ores, and the like, comprisingsupporting-"the moving bedof-materials-i-n the upper portior-i'of a-body of liquid, periodicallyoscillating the sup- 1 port for the bedof materials downwardly-andhorizontallyinopposition to the: normal direction ofmovement of l thebedand upwardly and horizontall y-in the normal-direction of movement ofThus, in the same bin I two or thebed, periodically subjecting the'bedof material's to upwardly and downwardly directed liquid impulses whichwill" alternately 'lift andloosen .thebed and allow the bed to settleandcompact, timing the oscillations of the bed support with the liquidimpulses so that the bed support: will move downwardly while the bedisliftingvv and. will move upwardly: while the'bed -is' settling,advancing thebed of materials-relativeto the support each time the bedislifted and loosened by an upward liquid impulse, separating fromtheadvancing bedv the materials of'greater densities, by settling thesame intothe lower portion of: said body of liquid, while the remainderof the bed continues its horizontal movement, and increasing the rate ofseparation of the materials. of greater. densities each time the-bed-islifted andloosened by an upward liquid impulse. 3, Apparatusforseparating from one. another granular materials: of. differentdensities, espe cially coals, ores, and the. like, comprising a bin,adapted to .bev filled .with liquid,.-having asideinletfor the admissionof the granular materials.

to bezseparated and a side outlet-for-the discharge of the separatedmaterials of lesser densities, a screen, having an unobstructedtop-surface, posi-- tioned in the upper portion of the bin to receivethegranular materials admitted through the side inlet and, spaced at itsdischarge end fromthe side outlet to provide an opening through whichthe materialsof greater densities will be dis-' charged into the portion'of the bin below=the screen, means forsupporting the screenforoscillating movements downwardly and horizontally toward the sideinlet and upwardly and horizontally toward the side outlet, means forimparting such movements to the-screen, means for producing-liquidimpulses'in the bin acting on the materials resting on thescreen, meansfor actuating saidliquid impulse producing -me'ans in timed relation tothe movements of the screen to pro: ducean upward impulsethrough thescreen while I the latter ismoving downwardly and a downward impulsethrough the screen while'the latter is moving-upwardly, a stationaryabutment adjacent the inlet end of the soreen'for opposing the tendencyof the materials to follow the horizontal movements of the screen towardthe side inletto advance the materials along the screen, and meanspositioned in said' discharge opening for controlling its effectivearea.

4'. Apparatus for separating from one another 7o ;theside inlet andspaced atits 751ml oscillating movements downwardly and hori= granularmaterials of different densities, especially-coals, ores, and thelikeco'mprising a bin, adapted to be filled with liquidhaving a sideinlet'for-the admission of materials to be separa-tedand a side outletforthe discharge of'the separated g-ranular materials of lesserdensities, ascreen, having an unobstructed-top surface,

positioned in the upperportion of the bin, to I receive the granularmaterials admitted through from the sideoutlet to' provide an openingthrough Whichthe materials of greater densities Willdischarged into theportion: of the bin below thescreen, means for supporting the-screendischarge end zontally toward the side inlet and upwardly andhorizontally toward the side outlet, means for imparting such movementsto the screen, means for producing'liquid impulses in the bin acting onthe materials resting on the screen, means for actuating said liquidimpulse producing means in timed relation to the movements of the screen5. Apparatus for separating from one another granular materials ofdifferent densities, especially coals, ores, and the like, comprising abin, adapted to be filled with liquid, having a side inlet for theadmission of granular materials to be separated and a side outlet forthe discharge of the separated granular materials of lesser densities, ascreen, having an unobstructed top surface, positioned in the bin toreceive the granular materials admitted through the side inlet andspaced at its discharge end from the side outlet to provide an openingthrough which the materialsof greater densities will be discharged intothe .por-

through the screen while the latteris moving upwardly, a stationaryabutment adjacent the inlet end of the screen for opposing the tendencyof the materials to follow the movement of the screen horizontallytoward the side inlet to advance the materials along the screen, a pairof hingedly connected plates, and means for pive otally supporting saidplates in operative relation to the discharge opening to control the effective area of said opening and to the side outlet;

of the bin to form a weir for controlling the discharge of materialsthrough the outlet.

6. Apparatus for separating from one another granular materials ofdifferent densities, especially coals, ores, and the like, comprising abin. adapted to be filled with liquid, having a side inlet for theadmission of granular materials to be separated and a side outlet forthe discharge ,of the separated granular materials of lesser densi-vties, a screen, having an unobstructed top surface, positioned in thebin to receive the granular materials admitted through the side inletand spaced at its discharge end from the side outlet to provide anopening through which the materials of greater densities will bedischarged into the por tion of the bin below the screen, meansfor supporting the screen for oscillating movements downwardly and horizontallytoward the side ,in-.'

let and upwardly and horizontally toward the side outlet, means forimparting such movements to the screen, means for producing liquidimpulses in the bin acting on the materials restingv "the materials tofollow the movement of the on the screen, means for actuating saidliquid impulse producing means in timed relation to the movementsof thescreen to produce an upward impulse through the screen while thelatteris moving downwardly and a downward impulse through the screen while thelatter is moving upwardly, .a stationary abutment adjacent the inletendof-the screen for opposing the tendency of thematrials to follow themovement of the :screenhorizontally toward the side inlet to advance thematerials along the screen, and means positioned in the said dischargeopening for controlling its effective area, said last mentioned meanscomprising a plate pivotally supported in thedischarge opening, andmeansfor pivoting said plate in timed relation to the movements of saidscreen to increase the efiectivearea of the discharge opening while thescreen is moving downwardly and horizontally toward the side inletand todecrease the effective area of said opening while the screen is movingupwardly and horizontally toward the side outlet.

- 7. Apparatus for separating from one another granular materials ofdifferentdensities, espe cially coals, ores, and the like, comprising abin, adapted to be filled with liquid, having a side inlet for theadmission of granular materials to be separated, and a side outlet forthe discharge of the separated granular materials of lesser densities, ascreen, having an unobstructed top surface, positioned in the bin toreceive the granular materials admitted through the side inlet andspaced at its discharge end from the side outlet to provide an openingthrough which the materials of greater densities will be discharged intothe portion of the bin below the screen, means'for supporting the screenfor oscillating movements downwardly and horizontally toward the sideinlet and upwardly and horizontally toward the side outlet, means forimparting such movements to the screen, means for producing liquidimpulses in the bin acting on the materials resting on the screen,meansfor actuating said liquid impulse producing means in timed relationto the movements of the screen to produce an upward impulse through thescreen while the latter is moving downwardly and a downward impulsethrough the screen while the latter is moving upwardly, a stationaryabutment adjacent the inlet end of the screen for opposing the tendencyof their efiective areas, said last mentioned means comprising a pair ofhingedly connected plates,

means for supporting the outer edge, of one of said plates for pivotalmovement about a fixed axis adjacent the bottom margin of the side out-'ilet, means for supporting the other of said plates for swingingmovements about an aXis adjacent the discharge end of "the screen, andmeans for moving said plates in timed relation to the movements of thescreen to cause the plates to increase 653the effective area of thedischarge opening and decrease the effective area of the side outletwhile the screen is moving downwardly and horizontally toward the sideinlet and to decrease the effeotivearea of the discharge opening andincrease the efiective area of the side outlet while the screen ismoving upwardly and horizontally toward the side outlet.

J8. Separating apparatus as defined in claim 7, further characterized bythe provision of means 7;;for moving the location of the axis aboutwhich one of said plates swings to adjust the range of movement of bothof said plates.

9. Apparatus for separating from one another granular materials ofdifferent densities, especially coals, ores, and the like, comprising abin, adapted to be filled with liquid, having a side inlet for theadmission of granular materials to be separated and a side outlet forthe discharge of the separated granular materials of lesser densiities,a screen, having an unobstructed top surface, positioned in the upperportion of the bin to receive the granular materials admitted throughthe side inlet and spaced at its discharge end from the side outlet toprovide an opening through which the materials of greater densities willbe discharged into the portion of the-bin below the screen, means forsupporting the screen for oscillating movements downwardly and'horizontally toward the side inlet and upwardly and horizontally towardthe side outlet, means for imparting such movements to the screen, meansfor producing liquid impulses in the bin acting on the materials restingon the screen, means for actuating said liquid impulse producing meansin timed relation to the movements of the screen to produce an upwardimpulse through the screen while the latter is moving downwardly and adownward impulse through the screen while the latter is moving upwardly,a stationary abutment adjacent the inlet end of the screen for opposingthe tendency of the materials to follow the movement of the screenhorizontally toward the side inlet to advance the materials along thescreen, movable means positioned in the said discharge opening forvarying its effective area, and means for actuating said movable meansin timed relation to the movements of the screen to increase said areaas the screen moves downwardly and horizontally and to decrease saidarea as the screen moves upwardly and horizontally.

10. Apparatus for separating from one another granular materials ofdifierent densities, especially coals, ores, and the like, comprising abin, adapted to be filled with liquid, having a side inlet for theadmission of granular materials to be separated and a side outlet forthe discharge of the separated granular materials of lesser densities, ascreen, having an unobstructed top surface, positioned in the bin toreceive the granular materials admitted through the side inlet andspaced at its discharge end from the side outlet to provide an openingthrough which the materials of greater densities will be discharged intois moving downwardly and a downward impulse through the screen while thelatter is moving upwardly, a stationary abutment adjacent the inlet endof the screen for opposing the tendency of the materials to follow themovements of the screen horizontally toward the side inlet to advancethe materials along the screen, movable means positioned in operativerelation to said discharge opening and to said side outlet for varyingtheir efi'ective areas, and means for actuating said movable means intimed relation to the movements of the screen to increase said area ofthe discharge opening and decrease said area of the side outlet as thescreen 'moves downwardly and horizontally and to decrease said area ofthe discharge opening and increase the area of the side outlet as thescreen movesupwardly and horizontally.

EDMOND 'HARVENGT.

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